The customer is always right. It?s an age old saying that has withstood the test of time. Even though we live in times where everything from clothes, groceries, and electronics can all be purchased from the push of a button with little to no human interaction, the customer still stands as the ultimate factor when determining a business?s success. Customer service is a huge part of any corporations? business plan and it continues to be a practice taught across all levels of business. Because of the shift in power to more online and automated practices, many believe that the human part of customer satisfaction has been lost. However, this couldn?t be further from the truth. A prime example of this is hotel management solutions, as this is an industry that blends new customer service practices with old school techniques to promote great customer service, excellent business practices, and help with employee retention.
According to CEB research, 96% of customers forced to expend ?high? effort with a company over a problem are likely to be disloyal. Whenever people are spending their hard-earned money, especially in the hotel industry, where they could be spending hundreds of dollars, all it takes is one bad situation to turn a customer off for good. Despite any good memories you may have about this particular establishment, a bad experience may run you away forever. In the hotel business, people can have many different kinds of unpleasant experiences. Having to wait for room service, dirty sheets, broken appliances, and unsanitary room conditions are just a few examples of things that can lead people to turn their back on a once well trusted hotel.
Another old saying is that your first impression is everything. Your front desk and concierge service are your customers? first face-to-face human interaction with a representative of your company. Travelers conduct approximately 17 research sessions before booking. You want to make sure that your hotel management solutions services are on point to defuse any tension that may have been caused when booking the hotel or to alleviate the frustration of a customer who is having an unpleasant stay at your hotel. According to Harris Interactive/RightNow, 86% of consumers quit doing business with a company in 2011 because of a bad customer experience. Building loyalty with 5% more customers would lead to an increased average profit between 25% and 100% per customer. Three out of four travelers (75%) are planning one or more weekend getaways this winter. Also, 46% of travelers who do mobile travel research make their final booking decision on mobile, but moved to another device to make the booking. With that being said, mobile queries within the travel category have increased more than 50 percent. However, even though more and more travelers are booking their stay online, it doesn?t mean they will have human interaction. The average no-show rate is 10 percent daily. Besides price and location, BandB travelers look to the following when deciding where to stay: Consumer reviews (50%), Photos (47%), friends? recommendations (46%), flexible cancellations policy (43%), ability to book online (43%). Hotel management solutions take information like this and use it to make their business more customer friendly and increase the experience.
Hotel management solutions are here to improve your customer service experience. Happy customers tell their friends and that makes more happy customers to keep your business afloat. No business can survive without customers and in industries like hospitality where customers have plenty of options, it is important to provide the best possible customer service. Hotel management solutions are here to help you help your customers and in return help you even more. Take advantage of the opportunities presented and hire and retain the right employees to help your business thrive.
